“Is it basic to love fall?” I asked my work bestie the other day. It’s funny that we live in a time where simply liking a season can land you in a labeled category – a whole “type” of person. Somewhere along the way, fall became pumpkin spice everything.
I love that my sun sign signals the autumn equinox, though, and the start of fall, because it is arguably the best season. All the standard descriptions of Libra: balance, beauty, and connection, I happily claim. Love Venus and all her gifts.
Contrary to popular belief, while Libras do tend to be serial daters and can be co-dependent, the scales symbolize a search for harmony and fairness, not just in relationships with others but also in relationship to yourself.
Libra season also encourages us to declutter – physically, emotionally, energetically, and make room for beauty to flow back in. Rearrange a corner of your home, buy yourself fresh flowers, or light a candle just because. Life feels more harmonious when the small things around us reflect that balance.
This month’s recipe is an ode to that sweetness and simplicity: a warm, spiced apple crumble. I’ve also been reading that apple might be the new “it girl” of fall instead of pumpkin. It’s also perfect because we’re in apple-picking season, so you can get your hands on some gorgeous Honeycrisp, Pink Ladies (my favorite), and Granny Smith to balance the sweetness and tartness in your crumble.
Serve it warm, definitely with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Ingredients
For the apple filling
- 4 – 7 apples (pick a mix of sweet and tart varieties, like half pink lady, half granny smith)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 – 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp honey
For the crumble topping
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of butter, slightly cold and sliced
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 – 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of cold water
- 1 pinch of salt
Vanilla bean ice cream is optional, but it’s really not
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degress farenheit
Cut the apples into slices and put them in a large bowl
Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, lemon juice, vanilla, and honey into the bowl of apples and make sure the apples are completely coated with the spices. Put the apples into your baking dish.
In a clean bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly work the butter into the mixture using either your hands or a fork. You want the mixture to become nice and crumbly.
Top the crumble evenly over your apples.
Bake for 30 minutes, place foil over the dish, and bake for another 10.
Enjoy, and don’t forget to serve with ice cream.
JULIENNE CARROTS 